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Architect, urban designer and activist Doug Farr’s second book, “Sustainable Nation: Urban Design Patterns for the Future,” poses one big question: how can we make the world we want, as quickly as possible? Come get unique access to the author during this 3-part book club.

Price
$60 public*
$45 CAF members*
Meet
Lecture Hall @ CAF, 224 S. Michigan Ave.

Learn how architecture can shape human health and well-being far into the future with this deep dive reading of “Sustainable Nation.” Topics include sprawl, carbon pollution and rapidly growing populations, and calls for a radical shift in the philosophies behind how we design buildings and plan neighborhoods at home and abroad. It analyzes the speed of change over 25-year generations and projects what the next 50 years on earth will look like without drastic changes in the world of architecture and urban design.

AIA Credit: 6 LU / HSW


Program Speaker: Doug Farr

Doug Farr

Doug Farr is the president of Farr Associates and founding chair of the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED-Neighborhood Development Committee. His firm has designed and certified seven LEED Platinum buildings, including two that achieve net-zero energy, and four LEED-ND developments. Doug has served on the board of several other urban sustainability organizations as well, including the Congress for New Urbanism, Bioregional, Eco Districts and Elevate Energy. His first book, “Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design With Nature,” was published in 2008.


Reading schedule

Week 1: Our Default World and Our Preferred Future
Tuesday, February 20, 6pm
Chapter 1: Where We Are – Infographics showing the history of civilization and global and national threats, barriers and progress.
Chapter 2: Case Studies ¬—Case studies of aspirational buildings and places that prove the viability of a sustainable future.
Chapter 3: Where We Want to Go—Timelines and stories describing a day-in-the-life in four countries expected to have the largest populations by 2050.

Week 2: Theory of Change
Tuesday, February 27, 6pm
Chapter 4: Theory of Change —A belief that complex societal change happens quickly only when small groups of people work together on shared interests.
Chapter 5 : Time — Observations of how it takes many generations for trends to reverse, and sobering projections of trend lines long into the future.
Chapter 6: Acceleration Strategies – Six proven ways to make change happen faster.

Week 3: The Practice of Change
Wednesday, March 7, 6pm
Chapter 10: Vibrant Density –Patterns of urban design to increase urban density into the future.
Chapter 14: Stranded Carbon – Patterns of building design to leave fossil fuels untouched.
Chapter 15: The New Health, Safety and Welfare – Updating ancient ideas about the public good to address 21st century concerns.
If you have your own copy of "Sustainable Nation" you will be able to get it signed this day by Doug Farr.


*NOTES
  • Single ticket purchase includes all three dates in the series: February 20 and 27 and March 7, 2018.
  • Registration includes free access to a digital copy of "Sustainable Nation" for 30 days. A link to the digital copy will be provided the week before the event.